Transcendent Praise

Mathew 5:23 – 24 Therefore if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to your brother; then come and offer your gift.

This is Jesus’ direct instruction on anger management. I have always found it interesting that he did not say if you remember that you have something against your brother. In short it leaves no room for assigning blame for the disagreement or malice. If you are the believer, you have the responsibility to fix it. This is hard because it is a lesson in humility and which of us want to be humble. It is not natural. That is exactly the point, we have to dig deeper. It is about exhibiting the “nature” of Jesus Christ. Letting his will become your will.

“If only my children would understand that their lives are mine to control so that my glory might be seen in them in the here and now.  That is the only way the world will know I am not just an idea, I am a holy living God wanting to be part of their lives as well. My will is that man would know me by seeing me lived out in those whom I have called and redeemed.”

Ephesians 2:10 “For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”

One of the most satisfying things about studying the Scriptures is that it is possible to unearth gems all the time. The verse above is one such gem which should prove precious especially to a new believer.

Jesus said: “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him, and I will raise the up at the last day” (John 6:44). God the Father drew you to himself when you read or heard his Word preached to you. The Holy Spirit brought conviction of sin and you surrendered because you learned that God’s love for you was greater than your sin. He had proved it by sending Jesus Christ to die for you. You accept that he died in your place. Your surrender allowed God to cleanse you of all unrighteousness and put his Holy Spirit within you to give you a new life and the ability to hear his voice and live in relationship with him.

If all this is true for you now, the question arises “what comes next, what do I do?” The answer is: the good works which God prepared in advance for you to do.   For a very long time I was not even aware of the importance of this verse. I’m sure I had read it repeatedly, but it just never arrested my attention.  My understanding is that once saved, God has specific things that he wants us to get busy doing. It’s not a copycat exercise, so clearly there is no point looking at another believer and trying to copy what they are doing. Your relationship with God is personal so it is his voice that will guide you. My writing this blog is one of my specific assignments. Ask your Father each day what is to be done because he might not be giving you a blue print for the rest of your life, just one day at a time.

Isaiah 40: 25 “To whom will you compare me? Or who is my equal?” says the Holy One.

I pity the person who has no regard for God. In Acts 12 there is the remarkable story of such a man. His name was Herod, later recorded in history as Herod the Great.  History confers greatness on the strangest characters because of our flawed human standards – he built cities, waged war and ruled with an iron fist, and so on.

But this is the same King Herod we encounter in Scripture as the man who ordered the slaughter of innocent infants two years and younger when he got news of the birth of the Christ child.  When the three wise men arrived and asked: “Where is the one born King of Jews? We saw his star in the East and have come to worship him.” (Matthew 2:2) Herod’s dispatch of his death squads was to ensure there would be no other king to be worshipped except him. Later on, while he sojourned in Caesarea, a day came when in royal robes he sat on his throne, and gave a public address to the people. He was commended by his audience who shouted: “This is the voice of a god, not a man.” The record states that “Immediately, because Herod did not give praise to God, an angel of the Lord struck him down, and he was eaten by worms and he died.” (See Acts 12:21 – 23). His failure to acknowledge the Eternal God who rules in the affairs of men sowed the seeds of his own destruction.  This is a reminder to us that no matter how wonderful our accomplishments may be, God deserves the glory and we should never attempt to thwart His plans in any way. When I read Acts 12 and meditated on it the Holy Spirit was quick to affirm:

“Yea I am the God of the universe I do not change. From time to eternity I shall be the same. I reign in the affairs of men to build up and to tear down and rearrange things as I see fit. The arrogance of man is an affront in my face which I will not tolerate. Man will be abased when they come up against my will and purpose. To me alone belongs all power and glory.”

Psalm 19:1 – The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.

The primary school I attended was a derivative of the British system of education.  Part of the curriculum in the English language and literature classes was to learn poems, portions of Shakespeare’s works or other material by memorization for recitation at concerts or other gatherings. The teacher was responsible for directing us as to the pronunciation, pitch, and emphasis of each line and to decide which parts would be done by male or female voices. It was called “choral speaking” and was often a competitive exercise between classes and/or schools. One such exercise was a recitation of Psalm 19. I still remember some it and the thrill of that experience. Of course those were the days when the Bible was as much a textbook as any other. Thank God!

God’s creation is one of the irrefutable evidences of his existence. It is reason enough to believe in him. Yes, I know there is another theory out there as to how things came to be, and those who accept that are welcome to it. But I beg you to take the time to contemplate everything around you that is not man-made that you enjoy, touch or see, or which draws you in by its beauty and awesome design. If you are honest with yourself you will have to conclude that it can’t all be the result of chance or cosmic explosion. To my mind, explosions do not create order they create chaos, as for example when a bomb explodes or a volcano erupts. And since I won’t be around long enough to prove evolution anyway, I’m not buying it. The first half of Psalm 19 praises the works of God and contends that they speak loudly of him.  This means that no matter where you are in the world you can hear the voice of God. The Bible, which is the Word of God, is full of good news about this Creator and his love for everyone and everything he made. It is the gospel and is not complicated. The Holy Spirit assures us:

“The Word is not as complicated as men have made it out to be. Things are plainly stated so that even children can understand. The things which God desires for man to know about him are not hidden for they are plainly evident in his creation. His love and care for his creatures, his overwhelming desire to redeem man was demonstrated in the death of Christ Jesus. Daily he waits for man to turn and look to him for redemption. To surrender and embrace life as it should be lived – in devotion and simplicity and joy. He waits.”

Psalm 16:11 “You have made known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand.”

Have you experienced the presence of the Lord?  If you have, then you have found great treasure and it will only make you hungry for more. So making time to sit with your Lord becomes vital for your every day. The heart of God yearns for his children to have fellowship with him all the time. It is in these times that he will come to you and speak peace to whatever your situation is. He will remind you of the price he paid to secure your salvation. He will remind you that you are of value, great value. He will show you a path forward or bid you stand still and let the Lord of all the earth sort things out for you. In short he will remind you that what he desires most is that you trust him completely.

You protest: “I have never been able to trust anyone because people have always dumped on me or betrayed me.” If that has been your reality, all the more reason to turn to God instead. He alone is trustworthy. You see a river of life flows from God to those who believe in him. Jesus walked the earth ministering life and deliverance to men. Then he suffered and rose from the dead and left the earth. The Holy Spirit took his place and is now available to each believer as comforter, counselor, energizer and the revealer of God’s truth. (See John 16: 5-15). Ask the Holy Spirit to come and be with you as you practice being in God’s presence. Jump into the river of life.

“Such is the Spirit of God. It gives life wherever it flows: invigorating life – the ability to overcome the vicissitudes of life, so that nothing can overpower the believer who jumps in with both feet, not looking back. It shall be a well-spring of life to him that overflows to those in need of hope around him. It becomes boundless.”

Ephesians 4: 5 – 6 One Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.

Paul is speaking to believers – those who have been called to follow Christ. It is a call to unity in belief and purpose.  If you are a believer consider yourself as one ‘called’ – Jesus said, “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him, and I will raise him up at the last day.” (John 6:44). But for you to live the life to which you have been called means you need to have absolute clarity about the one in whom you have faith – the Father, Son and Holy Spirit – the Trinity. This is the God of the Bible and he reigns as Sovereign over the whole earth. He created it and he has not relinquished control of it to anyone. The fact that there is chaos now is the clearest evidence of humanity’s rebellion – the desire to have our own way. But he is being patient with us.

In Old Testament times, the prophet Zechariah was given a message to both warn and encourage the children of Israel. He warned them that they were to listen to God’s word as proclaimed by the prophets before him in order to avoid judgment.  He encouraged them to cherish their relationship with God and not become disheartened in their efforts to rebuild the temple because God had long-term plans for them as a nation. There was hope for them because of the promised Messiah and the special relationship which God had covenanted with them. It is not over for Israel. Zechariah chapter 14 tells us about the day of the Lord when “The Lord will be king over the whole earth. On that day there will be one Lord, and his name the only name.” (Verse 9)   Through this same Messiah, Christians have been called into a special relationship with God and his promise that Christ will return for his bride is our eternal hope. There will be a new and different order to everything. The Holy Spirit reminds us:

“Only the Living God can bring these things to pass. He will reign supreme over his creation. Finally the Lord God will set up his kingdom of which there shall be no end. And as he has assured us all along, every knee shall bow and every tongue shall confess that He is Lord of all. Men from every tribe and nation, kings or paupers, everyone shall bow. Let there be no mistake or doubt, the Lord God will turn the order of earth upside down. His measuring rod will be his Word which though men have ignored it in time, will be the standard of judgment for all eternity. It will not fail says the Lord.”

II Timothy 3:1 But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days.

I am sure you have heard the expression “these are the last days” over and over again. I have since I was a child. Those were the days when pastors preached a lot about hell and damnation. And, by the way, the substance of their message was not in error. Jesus taught about the reality of hell. (See Matthew 10:28). Then came the era of the “prosperity gospel” when believers were encouraged to ‘name and claim’ pretty much everything they wanted. Now the emphasis is on the love of God. Praise the Lord! This is so important because that is the central message of the gospel. Jesus is the gospel. God so loved you and me that he sent his only Son to die to bring us back into fellowship with himself. Whoever believes in him will not perish, but will have eternal life. (See John 3:16). You are that valuable! No other gods can make this claim. Have you responded to that love by acknowledging Christ as the only Savior? I hope so. If you have, then you have no reason to fear these “last days”.

I have not always fully understood the expression “the last days”. Now I do. Look at Hebrews 1: 1-2. These verses clearly state that whereas in the past, at many times and in various ways, God spoke to mankind through the prophets, he now speaks to us in these last days by his Son. So the last days began when Jesus came to earth! Both II Timothy 3 and II Peter 3 describe fully the behaviors which characterize the social order today. With regard to the second coming of Christ, Peter pointed out that men do scoff and say “Where is this ‘coming’ he (The Lord) promised?”  Peter is careful to explain that man’s concept of time is not the same as God’s and that the seeming delay is the exercise of God’s patience with humanity allowing us time to repent. But the end of God’s patience will come and while the believer looks forward to a new heaven and a new earth, unbelievers and everything else will be destroyed. Don’t wait to choose sides or take this great offer of salvation for granted.

“The same God who created all things by his word in six days is able to make it all disappear in a flash. As it was in the beginning so shall it be for my ways are not the ways of men. Man needs raw materials to make things and discard them whenever it pleases them. Do I not have the same right? I am the Almighty God, the only one. Man is a creature, I am the Creator. We are not equals: not in might, not in power, not in glory. I build up and pull down, create and destroy. But I am merciful and as long as time lasts man has the opportunity to turn to me and be saved; to honor my Son as Savior, Redeemer and friend. But the end will come and there will be no more opportunity for repentance, only destruction. The time is short.”

Psalm 116:12 – 14 How can I repay the Lord for all his goodness to me? I will lift up the cup of salvation and call on the name of the Lord. I will fulfill my vows to the Lord in the presence of all his people.

Have you ever felt overwhelmed by the goodness of God? I have many times. How can you express gratitude to God? The writer of Psalm 116 gives us some help. Firstly – Love the Lord. He wrote as one who was not just grateful to God for hearing his prayers but as one who was in love with the Lord. He looked back at the many situations God had brought him through and recognized God’s compassion and protection. What about you? How old are you? Surely you did not just arrive at this point in life because you have been good or lucky. No. It is because he himself gives all men life and breath and everything else. “For in him we live and move and have our being.” (Read Acts 17: 24 – 28).

Secondly – Immerse yourself in the awesomeness of God’s provision of salvation. This implies that instead of somehow imagining that you can repay God, lift up your cup always to be filled and refilled by him. We do not deserve the sacrifice Christ paid and can never repay it. Just allow yourself to be overwhelmed by it. Call on the name of the Lord in every season, in every circumstance. Give praise and adoration!

Thirdly – Pay your vows. What does that mean? It’s not just about money. To me, it means that whatever the Holy Spirit instructs me to do, I do it. Obedience is better than sacrifice. Your instructions will come out of your relationship with God. If you allow yourself to be overwhelmed by his love, your gratitude will overflow “in the presence of all his people.”

1 Kings 17: 21 – 22 Then he stretched himself out on the boy three times and cried to the Lord, “O Lord my God, let this boy’s life return to him!” The Lord heard Elijah’s cry, and the boy’s life returned to him and he lived.”

Scripture has a way of blowing my mind often. What about you? Let us look at 1 Kings 17, for example. In the opening verses we read that several circumstances had developed which were detrimental to the well-being of the Prophet Elijah and he had no solutions for them. He had dared to stand before King Ahab and call for a drought which would last for years. As a result he had to leave town, but God gave him specific instructions where to go and what to expect. When one source of sustenance dried up God provided another.

The effects of the drought he had predicted caught up with him as the brook from which he had been drinking dried up. The Lord sent him next to the home of a woman who had a situation: she had lost her husband, was dirt poor and was now a single parent to boot. Can you relate? What does your situation look like? Elijah showed up at her house while she was outside gathering firewood. He not only asked her for water but he said “and bring me, please, a piece of bread.” She confessed she had no bread but just enough flour and a little oil with which she would make a meal for herself and her son to eat and then die together. Elijah encouraged her, “Don’t be afraid. Go home and do as you have said. But first make a small cake of bread for me from what you have and bring it to me, then make something for yourself and your son.” Can you imagine her facial expression in that moment? But Elijah continued, “For this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: “The jar of flour will not be used up and the jug of oil will not run dry until the day the Lord gives rain on the land.” She obeyed and, indeed, for a while she no longer had to worry about where their next meal would come from.

You would think her act of obedience would insulate her from any future trouble. But no, her next trial was greater – her son died. That’s so true to the way life is sometimes. But for the believer there is always hope in God, and we see that in this case God used another believer to bring relief. Follow the thread in both lives and you will see that it is God who was orchestrating every stage of this drama for his glory. That’s the whole point! It is all about God’s glory! Elijah had no capacity to raise the dead! That’s why he prayed “Lord my God, let this boy’s life return to him.”

“For it is the Lord God who determines who lives and who dies. And for those whom he determines life, he is able to restore health and vitality. Only he requires that faith in Him is displayed; that he be acknowledged to be the Eternal God who has the forces of life and death in his hands. God is righteous and men must learn that he is sovereign and dictates the outcome of events in their lives. For thus says the Lord, I will honor faith.”

Judges 11:29 Then the Spirit of the Lord came upon Jephthah. ….

It is the Spirit of the Lord in you that will make the difference in your approach to the challenges of life. Over and over in the Old Testament we read that the Spirit of the Lord came upon someone. Usually it was for a short time to empower an individual to accomplish a specific assignment. But we are living in the last days and because Christ ascended and the Holy Spirit now operates in the earth fulltime, his power is available to all believers all the time.

Jephthah had a battle to fight. He did not ask for the assignment, the assignment came looking for him. He seemed a most unlikely candidate. After all he had lived with rejection his whole life – he was a stepchild, born to a prostitute, and his half-brothers never let him forget it. They chased him away from home and declared he would have no part in the family inheritance. But God had given him a gift – he was a leader and a mighty warrior by reputation, and he knew the history of his Gileadite Clan inside out.

It strikes me that no matter who we are, regardless of the circumstances of our birth, the Lord God can cancel out the negativity and use us for his glory. There is no greater honor. Commit your life and natural gifts to the Lord and ask him to pour out his Holy Spirit upon you. He will change the course of your life completely.

“Only in the Spirit of the Lord can you conquer your enemies for he has ordained that power, real power belongs to him alone. Victory is God’s prerogative. He subdues whom he will so that his designs for your lives can be fulfilled. Lean not to your understanding in the circumstances of your life. Surrender the reins to him and let him conquer your foes and give you the victory.”